Do We Want Jeremiah Masoli?
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Jul 19, 2010 11:30 AM EDT
52 comments
Although merely a rumor at this point, there is talk that beleaguered former Oregon Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is interested in becoming an Ole Miss Rebel. For the two or three of you who are completely unaware, Masoli was recently dismissed from Oregon following a citation received for possession of the stickiest of the icky. He was, at that point, already on a very short leash with his coaches due to his having plead guilty to a misdemeanor burglary charge - he apparently stole a laptop from a fraternity house on Oregon's campus.
So he's a crook. He steals computers. He also likes drugs but, c'mon, the kid's from San Francisco and attended the University of Oregon - we can let that one slide. There's his big downside.
(As a fun aside, Cameron Newton, the former Florida quarterback and current Auburn Tiger, was dismissed from the Florida football team after having stolen a laptop. He was heavily "recruited" post-suspension by none other than Mississippi State. The SEC West: Where computer thieves look for second chances.)
His big upside?
Look at him run:
Hot damn.
I know he was the Ducks' quarterback for the past two seasons, but his skillset is less that of a quarterback and more that of a squatty, hard-nosed halfback who can throw and generally manage an offense. Imagine the threat a player like Masoli could be out of the wildcat. Hell, imagine what he could do as our starting quarterback? I am, of course, a Nathan Stanley fan and think he's a fine quarterback, but the guy's about as mobile as a statue. Raymond Cotton might be mobile, but he's got a bum shoulder and could really benefit with a year rehabbing behind a guy like Masoli. And the third Rebel quarterback, Randall Mackey, a true wildcat threat, isn't even on campus yet (I know, neither is Masoli, but he has played big boy ball for two seasons, something Mackey cannot boast).
So, were this to happen, think of Masoli as a wildcat/Stanley alternative. Purely as an athlete and football player, Masoli's potential contribution to the Rebels could be huge.
But, Jeremiah Masoli as an off-field liability is ultimately what may keep him out of Oxford or the SEC in general. None of us really know what kind of a person Masoli is - hell, maybe he's a really nice guy - but we are all aware of his foolish missteps. For starters, he was hanging around a fraternity house as a senior in college (who does that?). Then he, as a nationally famous athlete with a potential NFL future, stole a computer.
That is just something I cannot understand. I am trying to make some sense out of why a guy like Jeremiah Masoli would want someone's laptop, even if they were just going to sell it for a couple hundred bucks. Perhaps the guy was desperate (doubt it) or perhaps he loves the thrill of thievery (kleptomania is a serious issue, kids), but no circumstance could cause one to not tread very lightly with Masoli's transfer.
Then he got busted with weed. Whatever. As if that hasn't happened to any college athlete playing for any program ever. Yes, he's dumber than a brick for getting in trouble after already being in the Ducks' doghouse due to his laptop thievery, but the transgression itself alone of it's context really isn't that big of a deal.
It then goes without saying that such a move would ring negatively with the press and provide ammunition for our ignorant, double-standard wielding "friends" down in Starkville (YOU RECRUITED CAM NEWTON A FEW MONTHS AGO HAVE YOU ALREADY FORGOTTEN THIS). Some could care less about this, while others are more sensitive to such. Regardless, one cannot deny the importance of media perceptions and the negative impact Masoli could have on such regarding the Rebels.
In the end, the situation presents itself with a real need for risk/reward analysis; is one year of Jeremiah Masoli worth the potential trouble?
So once again, a pro for Masoli:
And a con: the guy's got a criminal past and were he join the Rebel football team we would undoubtedly receive some bad press for it, and would be putting our relatively clean off-field slate at risk.
Your thoughts?
NOTE: Due to Masoli having finished his undergraduate work at Oregon, his potential transfer to Ole Miss would not require a typical year spent on the bench, a la Jevan Snead after leaving Texas. This is because he is welcome to play per the NCAA so long as he continues his education by pursuing a graduate degree that Oregon doesn't offer. If this were to happen, expect to see a stout, bearded Hawaiian man in your next Southern Studies class.
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I'd rather let the rebuilding year be a rebuilding year.
He might take up needed game time for some other players who are younger and have more than a year of eligibility, and the risk of him just doing one stupid thing is too great given that he was dismissed for doing TWO dumb things.
Don’t get me wrong though, I would love to see him level some folks, I just think it might not be worth it.
I'm a Rebel, but I bleed the cherry and silver of the Lobos.
But
Jeremiah Masoli could make this something other than a rebuilding year.
My biggest problem here is that he isn’t a pro-style QB and wouldn’t fit well in our offense. That being said, he has the skills of a Heisman contender, and we could probably figure out some good ways to use him, even if that means running a great deal of read-options out of the shotgun.
by Juco All-American on Jul 19, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
my only problem is that...
It’s so late in the year. We would have to change a good bit of our offense for him IMO and it would have been much easier to do so earlier in the year. I think that’s probably the biggest hurdle for our coaching staff.
That is why I think you limit him to the Wild Rebel and as Stanley's backup
The read option offense at Oregon is not that much different from what we do out of the WildRebel, so that would decrease the curve there and serving as the backup allows for the redshirt of Mackey and surgery for Cotton.
by RebelBarrister on Jul 19, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Very true.
Perfect world here for me would be to go about our first 5 games like normal and then unleash the Holy-Masoli offense against Bama as a starter.
cornyspirit’dnicknameku
How the hell did you figure that, Juco?
You don’t run a pro-style offense, so how in the hell is it possible you have pro-style QBs?
Christopher Martin Gonzalez
We've run a pro-style offense for two years now.
Say, Gonzo, if you’re so sure it isn’t pro-style, then what style is it?
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Take a picture, trick.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Jul 29, 2010 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
To hell with it....
I’d take him today. We need him THIS year. I figure Nutt will assign him some big assed body guard to make sure he doesn’t do any stupid shit until late January.
If he wants to come and we can take him, then do it...
Keeps him out of Starkville, allows us to possibly RS Mackey (using Masoli as the primary backup QB as well as running the WildRebel), and allows us to let Cotton get the damn surgery he needs on that shoulder so that he is good to go for the Spring of 2011 without sacrificing QB depth.
by RebelBarrister on Jul 19, 2010 12:04 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
INSIDE FROM A UO GUY
So everyone wants to know why steal a laptop if you are that huge. here is the rumor from eugene, OR: the frat had members who were at a party with Masoli and took photos of the QB smoking weed. So instead of letting it play out he tries to cover it up! Plan and simple what a numbskull, but a heck of a QB.
Is this a trick question?
I say take him now. He would help us a lot. Masoli would be a great backup (and change of pace) to Stanley. He could come in and run the Wild Rebel (as others have alluded to), which would allow us to redshirt Mackey and let Cotton have surgery. Mackey is already behind the curve on learning the offense since he just got to campus fairly recently. Let him sit out a year so we can have him for two full seasons. Also allows us to get Cotton back at full-strength next year.
Of course, the only downside is the off-the-field stuff. It is like taking Brent Schaeffer all over again. If he gets in trouble, we look bad and lose the relatively good reputation we have with off-field incidents right now. If he comes in and sucks, we just look stupid. The only difference is, Masoli won’t come in and be asked to run the offense and be the primary passer.
The obvious difference between Masoli and Schaeffer
is Masoli’s two very successful years as the Oregon QB. Schaeffer was all hype while Masoli is a proven talent at the BCS level.
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Take a picture, trick.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Jul 19, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah...
Masoli is definitely a proven quarterback at the BCS level. I was just using the comparison to show how it could end up making Ole Miss look. If he makes another knucklehead, we will take hell from everywhere for it. If he comes in and sucks (doubtful), we just look stupid. If he comes in and is great, we look awesome. Really only three (obvious) ways this could play out.
From my days in college, guys like this can come in and do well. People don’t really ever completely change, but if he is a legit pro prospect maybe he straightens up so he can make it to the league. As we all know, sometimes a bad choice like this can help someone straighten up. Sometimes these guys just get better at hiding their mistakes. And sometimes they are just a knucklehead through-and-through, and step foot on a new campus and screw up again, making everyone look bad in the process.
Let’s hope he has learned a lesson and is ready to walk the line.
Dang....
Major reply fail. In the first paragraph it should say, “If he makes another knucklehead choice…”
In the second paragraph, the phrase “completely change” is the only thing that should be italicized, not the entire paragraph.
I should be better than this with technology….
You already look stupid.
Christopher Martin Gonzalez
EotC reporting that Nutt denied pursuing Masoli.
Not sure of the semantics regarding these kind of statements (e.g. does he have to say “no”, does this just mean we didn’t initiate so we aren’t the “pursuer”, etc. )
I just dont think he would fit in well.
I mean other than the Wildcat, we don’t really run an option-like offense that he’s used to. I see it being more of a hassle than anything.
by ARebel21 on Jul 19, 2010 1:59 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Still
No. He has too much baggage and I think we have two (don’t know how Mackey will fit in yet) quality QBs that can run the type of offense we will run for the next few years. The team seems to like both and I don’t see much trouble coming from either. We are going to run the ball and throw enough to keep teams off balance. Why bring in trouble for one year?
I have mixed feelings.
I don’t like players that cause a lot of off the field issues and leave their team in a lurch because of it, but I also believe in second chances. I think he could be great for adding depth to the QB position, allowing Cotton to rest this season and Mackey to learn the offense more. I would just hope that getting kicked off of Oregon’s team was a big enough smack upside the head to set him straight.
Good link
It also explains that schools are required to contact Oregon about a transfer, which could be why Coach Nutt denies pursuing Masoli.
Reply fail
This is supposed to be a reply to ARebel21.
Not in any way, shape, or form...
Do I want to see this pot smoking, thief in a rebel uniform. Yeah that’s probably a little harsh, but for me it is too risky for just one year. Having said that, he’s probably on the way to campus right now just because I don’t want him there
by the love IS gone... to omaha on Jul 19, 2010 4:00 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Dude's a good athlete. He will only be around for a year. Sort of a latter day Rory Johnson.
He’d look sorta like this…..
Oh hell yes.
Do we get super badass toolbox patterned shoulder pads as a part of the deal?
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Take a picture, trick.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Jul 19, 2010 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
If he stole that iMac....
…from an E, I have no problem with him!
heh, heh, heh, heh, heh….
"Happiness is riches, complaint is poverty, and the worst I ever had was wonderful." Brother Dave Gardner
Well, that image size sucked...
…so let’s try again….
"Happiness is riches, complaint is poverty, and the worst I ever had was wonderful." Brother Dave Gardner
No, we don't
I’m a believer in second chances, but he’s already had his and still screwed it up.
Someone a lot smarter and more in tune answered it better than I could.
I trust Nutt will do what’s best for the program to have a good season. He is smart enough to not take “talent chances” if they aren’t worth it.
Kind of a cop out answer, but I agree completely.
Check your facts
Actually Masoli’s NOT from San Francisco. He’s from Hawaii and only spent a year in SF at City College of San Francisco.
Actually he is from the bay area, moved to Hawaii to play his senior year of high school there, then played one season at CCSF as a full-qualifier before transferring to Oregon.
Geographical sidenote of interest to Ole Miss fans, when he decided to leave CCSF after one season the two schools he was considering were Oregon and Auburn.
also
Masoli also wasn’t the only JC transfer to come to Oregon that year that had been considering Auburn. RB LeGarrette Blount also arrived in Eugene fall of 2008, after originally being an Auburn commit, then spending two years at a JC in Mississippi, before picking Oregon over Florida State.
We all remember Blount from his JC days in MS.
Red Cup Rebellion - Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics
Take a picture, trick.
by The Ghost of Jay Cutler on Jul 19, 2010 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions
it's just too bad he didn't have a chance to leave an impression at Oregon
by haveagreatday on Jul 19, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
A little context about Masoli
As a massive Oregon fan and the creator of the videos attached (along with almost 2,000 other Oregon videos on the internet), may I chime in for a moment to provide a little context?
The concerns over him coming in late and for only one year are understandable…would he be able to pick up a new offense? Would Ole Miss have to change their offense for him? What kind of impact would his presence have on team chemistry?
Well, having closely followed Masoli’s (or as we call him now Macstoli) for the past few years, I have some insight…
When Masoli joined Oregon he was a late transfer from CCSF, arriving on campus just as fall camp started for 2008. He then got injured almost iommediately and was 5th string, only being healthy enough to get about a week of practice time before the season opener. If not for Oregon’s 1st and 2nd string QBs suffering severe knee injuries Masoli may have never played a down for Oregon, but with Masoli as a JC transfer and two true freshmen QBs the Ducks were forced to go Masoli or burn redshirts.
Unfortunately in Masoli’s first start, vs Boise State, they cheapshotted him in the head in what should have been an immediate ejection on the second play of the game giving him a concussion…yet he stayed in the game leading a TD drive before eventually the cobwebs were too much to overcome. He came back the next week and never relinquished the starting job even after one of the earlier staring QBs was finally healthy again. Masoli proved to be gamer, erradic at times in the passing game but as elusive of a QB as you’ll ever come across, able to buy time with his feet and create plays by either bulldozing over a defender or eventually finding an open receiver after being a whirling dervish in the pocket for a bit evading defenders.
He has that intangible ‘it’ factor, an almost indescribale capacity to just make plays that seem improbable, and can cause equal amounts jubilation and agony. But whatever that it factor may be, he simply wills the team to victory, and has been a winner on the field wherever he has gone…first in high school in San Francisco and hawaii, then leading his JC team to the national championship, and leading Oregon in two seasons to a 2nd place finish in the Pac-10 and Holiday Bowl win and then the Pac-10 championship and Rose Bowl.
Off the field is where the story gets muddy. The reason for his senior year spent in Hawaii was because of his time spent in juvenile hall in San Francisco for he and some HS teammates jumping kids at the mall to steal their money. He transferred to Hawaii and then CCSF one season before joining Oregon. Admittedly when he became a Duck, almost no Duck fans had a clue about who he was, and didn’t think much of him since he was buried 5th on the depth chart…but injuries to others led him onto the field, and once there all he did was win games. A lot of games.
In all the interviews he did he always seemed to carry himself as a bright upstanding individual, in the public spotlight said the right things and did the right things…Behind the scenes though, he put himself in some now well-documented dumb situations that got him in trouble and hurt the team. From what I’ve gathered his teammates always liked him and was a solid leader, coaches liked him, fans loved him…but now it’s an overlying feeling of not hate or anger, but just disappointment in letting everyone down with his repeated dumb moves.
…So I guess what I’m saying is that he has shown to be able to very quickly pick up an offensive system with minimal practice time, and shown an ability to lead teams to victory, and get along with teammates. He’s also displayed an ability to present himself well in public. What he’s done a very poor job of is carrying himself the way a starting BCS QB should behind the scenes, committing crimes and lying to coaches and teammates. He let the team and Oregon fans down big time, we all hope he learns from his errors and can get his life back in order. The question is how much does Ole Miss want to win, because with him at the helm that is the one thing I can guarantee, he will find a way to win games.
Go Ducks!
And all hail the Ole Miss Rebel Alliance, Admiral Ackbar for mascot!
by keeerrrttt1 on Jul 19, 2010 4:55 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
that makes me want him even more...
….I hope that he’s figured out how much one more semester means to him regarding his football future to keep him straight.
As far as him being able to learn our system, We’d put him as our Wild Rebel…..which is actually a read-option.
Not that it matters but kentrell posted this on Twitter
OleForty: So am I the only one who is just hearing about Jermiah Masoli possibly coming to join the Rebs!!!
I’m for it actually. Dudes a good qb.
"A little Ice Cream with the Enemy, Huh Coach?"
www.myspace.com/knucklepuckva
by wackydeli on Jul 19, 2010 9:23 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I really see little to no downside...
He’s looking for a chance to prove to pro scouts he’s not a shitty guy;
he’s only here for 1 year, so he’s not gonna destroy the program with some random arrest; our offense needs aboost, which he can supply; he’s dexter with an actual arm and he’ll keep defenses honest;
getim, getim getim!!
...
he’s dexter with an actual arm
I hate you. You’re better than this.
by Juco All-American on Jul 20, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
YOU DON'T WANT JEREMIAH MASOLI
Sounds like you guys don’t have a scholarship available to give Masoli, and it’s being reported highly unlikely that he ends up in Oxford. With that said, consider it a blessing in disguise. The guy is a bad influence in the locker room and off the field. How many times does he have the screw up, get in legal trouble, and still not learn to clean his act up? It’s unbelievable. Oregon was a popular pre-season Top 5 pick with Masoli even on some the back end of some Heisman lists going into 2010. You have all your life to party and do whatever it is that you do, but he couldn’t make some good decisions and threw it all away.
Masoli has some impressive highlights of running guys over, and that is true- he does have the ability to make things happen with his feet. What you don’t see though is his incredibly erratic throwing of the football, the guy does not have the ability to consistently hit open receivers and stretch the field vertically.
We lost at Boise State and against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl because they threw 20 guys in the box, and Masoli was unable to hit open receivers. Simple as that.
Consider yourself lucky you guys don’t wind up with Masoli running around your town late in the night starting $hit.
Go Rebels, Go Ducks…
Friends dont let friends go to Oregon State, hell, even root for them.
by WashingtonDCduck on Jul 20, 2010 11:59 AM EDT reply actions
It is always refreshing...
…to hear the stable, clear voice of reason.
Thanks.
"Happiness is riches, complaint is poverty, and the worst I ever had was wonderful." Brother Dave Gardner
Masoli is better than what you have now....Believe that!!!!!!!!
I personaly don’t like Masoli for I like Darronn Thomas (the redshirt freshman that is listed above) When Masoli got injured in the Boise State game, Thomas came into the game in the 4th and threw 3 TDs and almost won the game. Masoli was still the starter when he came back and led the Ducks to the Rose Bowl. He is a beast at running the ball and a very accurate passer, but can be streaky at times. If he can stay out of trouble, he will be a great football player for you or anyone.
I've seen Masoli run over guys like a FB.
With that said, he’s a trouble maker deluxe. He’s perfect for HDN.
Christopher Martin Gonzalez
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